Security agencies must get to bottom of attacks and threats on journalists – Oppong Nkrumah

Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has condemned recent attacks and threats on the lives of some journalists in Ghana.

Reacting in a series of tweets on Monday, December 28, 2020, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said the security agencies must rise to the occasion and bring the persons infringing on the rights of these journalists to book.

“A number of journalists have reported threats and at least one (1) robbery in the aftermath of the 2020 elections. It has been suggested that these threats are associated with their work as journalists.

“It is of critical importance that our security agencies get to the bottom of these complaints and use all the legitimate means at their disposal to unmask the identities of the culprits - whatever their motives - and arrest and prosecute them with speed,” he tweeted on his handle @konkrumah.

His tweet follows revelations that the home of broadcast Journalist with Angel Broadcasting Network (ABN) and morning show host of Accra-based Angel FM, Captain Godsbrain Smart, was broken into on Sunday dawn.

According to the Mile 7 District Police, the journalist had all exterior driving mirrors of his three Toyota four-wheel-drives stolen.

The thieves also made away with the windshield guards of all the vehicles including two Toyota Land Cruisers and one Land Cruiser Prado parked in the house of the popular journalist.

Not long ago, another outspoken journalist, Manasseh Azuri Awuni, disclosed that he has received a death threat following an article he wrote to criticise the Electoral Commission about the conduct of the recent presidential and parliamentary polls.

The article titled, “ERRORtoral Commission and Akufo-Addo’s coup d’état,” blamed the EC for the anomalies with the Techiman South parliamentary results and the non-participation of the people of Santrokfi, Akpafu, Lolobi, and Likpe in the parliamentary polls on December 7.

Also, media personality and the Head of Programs at the Despite Media Group, Afia Pokua, known popularly as Vim Lady, has received numerous threats.

Reacting to these issues in his tweet on Monday, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said Ghana's enviable reputation as a protector of journalists’ rights and freedoms must be preserved.

“Manasseh Awuni, Captain Smart, Afia Pokua et al, my thoughts are with you,” he ended his tweets.

A number of journalists have reported threats and at least one (1) robbery in the aftermath of the 2020 elections.

It has been suggested that these threats are associated with their work as journalists.

— Kojo Oppong Nkrumah (@konkrumah) December 28, 2020

It is of critical importance that our security agencies get to the bottom of these complaints and use all the legitimate means at their disposal to unmask the identities of the culprits - whatever their motives - and arrest and prosecute them with speed.

— Kojo Oppong Nkrumah (@konkrumah) December 28, 2020

Ghana's enviable reputation as a protector of journalists’ rights and freedoms must be preserved.

Manasseh Awuni, Captain Smart, Afia Pokua et al, my thoughts are with you.

— Kojo Oppong Nkrumah (@konkrumah) December 28, 2020